The months of May and June are usually observed as Family Months. During these months we specifically celebrate mothers and fathers and to some extent the whole family. It is a great time for many persons as those who are biological mothers and fathers are celebrated and affirmed. It’s an opportunity for children to let their mothers and/or their fathers know how much they love them and that’s a good thing. It may even be a good time for those who mainly have a commercial interest.
It may not be such a good time for some who are not biological mothers or fathers, like those mothers who still bear the pain of miscarriages or still births. Who can ever understand? And certainly a sad time for those who have lost their mothers and fathers by death violent or natural, and even for those losing their partners and parents by divorce. It’s never usually a good time for those children who may have to choose between parents and those who may lament that they no longer have their parents in their lives the way they would like. And wish they never had to hide and communicate with either parent, or bemoan the fact of their loneliness, of having parents alive, know where they are but have no meaningful contact.
I’ve raised all these issues for us to be mindful of all the emotions at work during mother’s day or father’s day celebration and for all of us to be understanding, sensitive and empathetic. And since this is a family focus time to be able to address as many of the needs of the family as we can, with love care compassion and solidarity.
Whither Family
Whether we want to admit it or not the family plays an exceedingly important role in the society. It contributes to its safety, development of strong moral values and the creation of whole individuals. But what is this family of which we speak? What form does it take and is any family form more effective than the other? Given our Jamaican reality, there are more families which look like mother and children, and siblings, and grandchildren, than the minority nuclear form. We could add to these the Sibling household and the Single parent family, the Blended family and many more. Ultimately it is not so much the form that matters or contributes to effectiveness, but the quality of the relationships within the families. Which Davidson and Watson describes as “Healthy Families.” For them healthy families are characterized by love, respect, appreciation for each other, praying together, making decisions together among other things. These are qualities that are not limited to any family form or structure, but can be present in all true families.
The goal of the church then is to develop and promote healthy families; model and encourage through its membership healthy relationships. To this end we would be cultivating behaviours which are reflective of kingdom principles, and would certainly have a positive and transforming impact on the rest of society.
Church as Family
So the church is a family. The family of God, where there are brothers and sisters sharing together, where there are mothers and fathers of the faith, aunts and uncles and children. The family is a safe place, to grow and to become Christ-like. It is a place where we love and care for each other, regardless of age or status, gender or race. What a difference we would make if we could transform the BBC into a model family church where these qualities are so evident that no one wants to leave and everyone wants to join. Let us welcome our brother and sisters into this wonderful family.